The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1887-06-08

now TO DO PAVING WORK Ar riiIS
SEASON.
suggestions OF Interest, from in huthori-
tativc Source.

iluNlhB nnlSneu plantlnB tho mann
crops and got them well under way, the
work of continued cultivation will ab-
sorb most of tho time aud attention OF
tho farmer. If the seasons during May,
i'll any given section, have been propiti-
Gus, the main object i'll viow i'll cultivat-
ing tho crop will be to keep the surface
soil i'll light, friablc condition. The un-
thinking laborcr conccivcs that the chief
end of plowing and hoeing is to prevent
tho weeds from choking tho crop. 70
such man (perhaps there are many
such) the grass and weeds arc q blessing
i'll disguisc-compelling him to give the
cultivation which would be needed, even
in tho absence of such blessing. Deep
plowing OF growing crops is not nov in
order, excepting, OF course, lato-plantcd
fields not before we'll plowcd. We want
to induce moderately rapid and health
full growth Of the stalks Of corn and cot
ton. Therefore the roots Of tho plants
should not be torn and broken more
than Is absolutely necessary. The unpCr
inch or two of the soil should be Kept
open and loose. The crust which forms
after rain prevents tho easy access OF
the air above laden with plant food in
the form of carbonc acid and nitrogen
and should be broken as often aa may
be found cXpcdicnt, not less than once
III every ten days or two weeks. The
layer of soft mellow soil that is left be-
hind the cultiyating implement acts very
dccidly AS II mulchlng to the layer below
III which the roots arc penetrating in
every direction. Such q layer of loose
soil is Il poor conductor OF heat and
therefore protects the roots Of tho crop
from the too fcryid and scorching rays
Of the sun; and the intcrsticus arc not
fine and close enough to act rs capillu yios
III bringing up the moisture from the
soil about the roots to be cYapOratcd ana
lost, as would be the case il the crust
were permitted to remain uudisturhCd.
1t should be the aim, therefore, to go
over crop as rapidly as possible after n
good season OF rain and to keep the sur
face rs constantly rs possible III this
loose, open condition. How often IL
crop should be plowcd over is as already
limited, II question Of cXpcdicncy. v iiic
it is true that Il crop growing on roor
land but lightly fcrtIlizcd will receive IA
greater ratio OF benefit from frequent
and thorough cultivation than Il crop
growing on rich or wcll.lcrtiliZcl .olI.
yet it pays best to give the naturally rich
or the highly fcrtilizCd land the prefer
ncc-tho best and most frequent cu!li-
vntion. We doubt not there are many
fields already planted that would give
better returns (lCss loss if they shoUtd
receive no cultivation ut al.
RAPID CULTIVATION.
The implements used III the South III
cultlvatnS the crops are generally dc
fCctlvc IN the respect that they are too
small they do not get over the crop last
enough. y llSht-rupnln& II TO Is Inch
sweep does not fully tax the capacity of
n stout mule to say nothing OF the smaller
shovel and scooter, still SO much used.
The Southern 1armcr docs not fully mp.
prcclate the advantages of wide spread
ing cultlVators and harrowS. Among the
number Oh cNphhdihB, adjustable cultl-
VatorS, on whcoiS or otherWlsc, thnt are
80 generally uscu IN tnC NOfth ana West,
wo ought TO DC aplc 10 ma one that "ill
answer our purpose bcttcr thnn the
sweep ana hccI cI-scrapc. COTTON mlddlc
should De cleaned out ana stirred from
row TO row at one through trip-a corn
row Mt not more than two. There Is ccr-
tainly IN unnecessary consumption OF
time and travel when from seven to nine
burrows are gwen to each thrcc-ioot cot
ton row, III the course OF inc season, as
Is usually done, employing the tune OF
an nblc-Dodlcd hand ana mule.
Several years ago, wlnlc Watching the
plowing OF Held oi cotton with 24-lnch
swccps-two burrows to thc middIc,-we
were struck with the Tact that IN making
the return, or second lurrow, the big
sweep was dong substantially ittlc more
Original WORK th"h ml8hthaVG Dcch done
by thrcc-inch garden noe. Inc greater
part OF the cuttln8 cn8o Oh inc sweep was
tapping over ana passing alon8 the lmr-
row run Just few moments before. 70 70
remedy TINS on inc Spot we directGd me
plo"man 10 Sioc OJ INC row, ana SKIP
every other row; ;r, C. Slao pom sides OF
every othcf row INC result was Gan
OIL Just one 'hlii INC tILnr, ana ooG'b 'ES
81